Process for preparing reinforced ceramic material



March 13; 1945 J. R. PARSONS Y ,3 1,

PROCESS FOR PREPARING REINFORCED CERAMIC MATERIAL Filed May 25, 1942 remain 13, ms f 2,371,353 PROCESS FOB PREPARING REINFORCED OMATEBIAL Joseph R. Ill, alsignor to Parsons, Chicago United States Gypsum Company, Chicago. 111., a corporation of Illinois Original application May 9, 1938, Serial No.

206,816,.now Patent No. 2,307,333, dated January 5, 1943. Divided and this application lay V25, 1942, Serial No. 444,380

8 Claims. (Ci. 25-156) This invention relates to a process for preparing a ceramic material and more particularly to a process for preparing a reinforced ceramic building material.

This application is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 206,816, iiled May 9, 1938,

now Patent No. 2,307,332, dated January 5, 1943.

This invention has for an object the provision of a ceramic material that is useful for construction where light, flexible, and readily installable building units are required. Ceramic materials such as brick, terra cotta', tile, glass, and the like have been used to a large degree in the past in building construction. Such ceramic materials have the advantage over wood and other building materials in that they are water resistant, fireproof, and almost indestructible. The use of the above-mentioned ceramic materials for building construction also has many disadvantages, among these being the great weight of such materials, which necessitates heavy foundations for buildferred method whereby the article of this invention may be fabricated;

Fig. 2 illustrates the. method for welding two abutting units of material prepared in accordance with this invention; and r Fig. 3 illustrates a method for welding together two angularly abutting units of the ceramic material prepared in accordance with this invention.

The product prepared in accordance with this invention comprises an aggregate of thermostable inorganic particles and thermostable reinforcing means which have been interbonded by means of a bonding agent that has a lower fusion point than the particles or the reinforcing material. This product may be prepared. in general, by thoroughly mixing the particulate material with the bonding-agent, preferably in the powdered form. The resulting mixturemay vbe incorporated ings, as well as the difliculty with which these ceramic materials are installed. Bricks, tile, and glass blocks must be joined together with mortar, and skilled labor is required to construct buildings from these materials. Also, it is necessary that ceramic products be prepared in small units in order to prevent them from breaking or shat tering during their transportation. It is, therefore, desirable to produce a ceramic material that is light in weight, flexible, and capable of being transported and set up in a construction in large units with a minimum of labor.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a shatter-resistant ceramic product.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a ceramic building unit of considerable size which is capable of being readily installed by unskilled labor and is resistant to shattering.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a ceramic building unit that may be readily fastened by nails and screws to other building units.

A further object of this invention is a process for the production of ceramic building units which maybe joined by fusion or welding.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a method for joining or welding the reinforced ceramic materials of this invention in order to form a monolithic structure.

Further and additional objects of this invention will appear hereinafter.

In the drawing:

with the reinforcing means by any suitable method, and the resulting mixture or aggregate may be subjected to a temperature sufficient to fuse the bonding agent but insuilicient to fuse the particulate material or the reinforcing agent. The product, on cooling. is thus a mass of particulate material bonded together at a point-to-point contact by means of a solid bond, the whole being reinforced and bonded integrally with the reinforcing material.

According to a preferred embodiment of this invention, a bonding agent in the powdered form, such as a glaze or enamel, may be mixed dry with the aggregate or particulate material. Such particulate material may comprise any type of argillaceous material such as ground brick and the like. The resulting mixture may be thoroughly incorporated with water or another fluid to form a paste possessing sucha plasticity that it may be readily incorporated with any type of reinforcing means such as expanded metal lath, wire screen, and the like. The resulting mass is then preferably dried and subjected to a temperature for a time suflicient to fuse the ,bonding agent incorporated in the material but insufficient to fuse either the particulate material or the remforcing material.

The bonding agent used in preparing the article described in this invention may be any type of substance that will form a bond between the particles of the material and the reinforcing means. These substances may be selected from those materials known in the ceramic industry as glazes or enamels. A suitable enamel may be prepared by mixing in the dry state suitable quantities of flint, feldspar, and fluxes such as Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically a preu soda ash, sodium nitrate, litharge, zinc oxide,

'Suitable substances are ceramic or argillaceous material, such as crushed brick, waste pottery,: brick grog,- and the like. Other substances may also be used. such as sand, cinders, and crushed igneous rock. A thermostable substance in the;

sense of this disclosure is a substance that will not decompose at the temperature to which it is heated in the process.

The reinforcing means that may be used in an article as described and prepared in accordance variety of materials. For example, metallic reinforcement may be used as described in the preferred embodiment of this invention, such as expanded metal lath, wire screens, wire rods, metal wool, and the like. However, it is not necessary that the reinforcing means be limited to metallic substances, since rock wool, asbestos fibers, cyanite fibers, etc., may also be used. It is often desirable, as is shown in a preferred embodiment of this invention, to employ mineral fibers asa reinforcing means in conjunction with the metallic elements.

In order to more specifically describe the prodnot of this invention and the means whereby it may be produced, a specific example is set forth wherein a method is described for producing the reinforced ceramic product of this invention. The example given is for illustrative purposes only and is not to be construed as limiting the scope of this invention. According to the preferred form, a paste may be prepared by thoroughly incorporating in any desired manner the bonding agent, the aggregate particles, water, and any other suitable material. A suitable paste may have the following composition by weight:

Water-suitable quantity to form a smooth paste.

The paste may then be extruded onto and around a layer of expanded metal lathe, screen, or wire mesh in such a manner as to embrace the latter. The resulting layer of paste and reinforcing means may then be preformed into the desired shape by suitable rollers or other compacting means in any desired manner. The re sulting sheet or mass may then be dried and sub- .l'ected to sufficient heat in any suitable type furnace in order to fuse the enamel or bonding agent within the mixture. The aggregate particles and reinforcing material are thus fused together by means of the bonding agent and have a point-topoint contact. The resulting product. consequently has a somewhat porous structure. If desired, the resulting product may be passed through an annealing furnace in order to remove strains set up in the product during heating.

Reference is now made to Fig. 1. Paste I may be prepared from the aggregate, the bonding agent, and water in any suitable manner in a battery of grinding, mixing, and pugging mills 2 and extruded onto a conveyer 3. In the preferred embodiment shown, the conveyer 3 comprises a sheet of paper or other sheet material passing over rotating rolls 4 from spool 5. A sheet of wire screen or mesh 6 from reel 1 may pass over, parallel to and in the same direction as conveyer 3. Paste I may be extruded onto conveyer 3 and intimately associated with and surround the wire screen or reinforcing material. 6. The paste l and the reinforcing material 6 are preferably continuously conveyed "on conveyer 3 through pressure rollers 8 or other suitable means in order to preform the product into sheet material 9 and in order to firmlycompact the paste I around the reinforcing material 6. Sheet 9 may then pass into a suitable drier ID in order to remove the water from the paste material. Sheet 9 subsequently passes to furnace II wherein it is subjected to" a temperature sufficient to fuse the bonding agent within the mixture but insuflicient to fuse the aggregate particles or the reinforcing yvith this invention may be selected from a wide f material. Temperatures suitable for this process may vary from about 1400 F. to 2300 F., depending on the material used for manufacturing the product and the time that the product remains in the furnace. It may be desirable to subject the product to a suitable annealing furnace I! after it is removed from the firing furnace H. The product, on removal from the annealing furnace, may be cut into suitable lengths by shears I3.

The sheet of ceramic material prepared in accordance with this invention may be of any size or thickness, which may directly depend upon the amount of paste extruded upon conveyer 3, the proximity of the preshaping rolls 8, and the rate at which the product passes through the furnace. The ceramic sheet material prepared and described above may have some heat and soundproofing properties. It is light in weight, a sheet inch thick having a weight of about 2.5 pounds per square foot.

In order thoroughly to clean it, the reinforcing material 6 is preferably treated by a sand blast in chamber [4. It may also be passed through an alkali bath in order further to clean it and permit the bonding agent in the product to adhere more firmly to the reinforcing material. Any suitable alkaline substance may be used for cleaning the reinforcing material, such as sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, trisodium phosphate, and the like.

If desired, the sheet material 8 as described above may also be treated with a suitable glaze introduced onto the sheet from container I5 before drying.

Conveyer 3 is preferably paper or some other organic fibrous sheet material which is useful for holding the paste around the reinforcing material 6 before firing in furnace ll. During the firing, this sheet material ordinarily burns off. It is possible, however, to use a mineral fibrous sheet material such as prepared from asbestos or mineral wool and which will not burn off in the firing furnace but become directly incorporated into the sheet material during the firing operation. In certain instances sheet 3 may even be replaced by the reinforcing means 6.

The temperature of the furnace may depend to a large degree upon the time of contact of the material within the furnace, the thickness of the product, and the materials from which the product is prepared. In the preferred embodiment shown above, wherein a metal screen or mesh is used as the reinforcing material, ground brick as the aggregate material, and enamel as the bonding agent, temperatures from 1400 F. to 2300 F. are usually sufficient. The enamel or bonding material will fuse at this temperature,

thus causing the particles and the material tobebondedt sethersubstantially at a point-to-point contact, If fiber-care usedasv the reinforcing means.r ho wever. it may be desirable ,in; certain, instances to, heat the material totemperaturesas high as 2600' .1. furthermore, it is possible, if the bondingage'nt \ts presentin an extremely ilnelydividedstate,

time

glass M6 duringtho process of manufacture. 1

. The reinforcingmaterial may be incorporated in the mannershownin the'preferred embodb mentor in any other manner. l'or example. reinforcing materialmay be added-during the mixing ofthezagsr late material and the bonding agent. and particularlywhere such reinforcing that temperatures from 40o"l".to 160011". may

'suflce without actual fusion of-the bonding material. It lsnotcontemplated that this invention materialis nun form of fibers. It maybe dein some to employ both a fibrous reinforcing material and a metallic noniibrous belimitedinanymannerbythetemperaturethatmay be employed during the-manufacture of the herein-described product. Any type offurnace may be used. such as induction furnaces, electric furnaces. muiiie furnaces, gas or coal-fired furnaces, and the like. I, By slight variations in the process as described above, it is apparent that the process may be made intermittent as well. as continuous. The hot material may besmoothed reinforcing material as is shown in the preferred embodiment of this invention. The asbestos or mineral wool fibers impart a degree of flexibility to the resulting product.

Other materials, than those mentioned above may also be incorporated if desired. such as clay, mica, p'yrophyllite, and Such substances are sometimes desirable since they by pressure rollers, if desired, on removal from the furnace. Furthermore, his not necessary to employ in all instances a drier for the paste or an annealing furnace for the product as described in the above embodiment.

A particular feature of the product of the here-' in-descri'bed invention is that several units of the therefore all the qualities of the ceramic matematerial may be integrally fastened together by a nonmetallic weld.

Fig. 2 illustrates a method whereby two abuttingunits may be welded together by the use of an oxyacetylene torch I! and a so-called welding stick it. The welding stick It may comprise a' oxyacetylene torch l'l may be applied directly to the points in contact without the use of a welding stick, if desired, and the bonding agent within the units will fuse on heating and flow together, thus forming an integral structure as described above.

A further desirable feature of the product of this invention is that it may be heated by any suitable method and be bent or formed into a predetermined shape. For example, a inch sheet of the product may be bent around corners by the application of heat to the material. The

bonding material becomes softened, permitting a shaping of the sheet. The reinforcing holds the sheet together and prevents breaking. On cooling, the sheet may then assume its original rigidity.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, as described above, only a method for producing a reinforced ceramic product in the sheet form is shown. It will be readily realized, however, that reinforced products of various shapes and sizes may be produced by slight modifition of the apparatus without departing from the spirit and the scope of this invention. The product is particularly adaptable as a ceramic material for building units since no mortar is necessary and the product may be readily attached to surrounding structures by means of clips, naih, screws, and the like. Further, they may be Joined to each other, if desired, by the above-mentioned welding process. If desired, any type of decoramay impart desirable properties to the paste during the manufacture or to the resulting product. The ceramic material of this invention has rials that have been used in the past for building structures. They are durable, and fireproof. They may be made available in any desired shape or size and may be conveniently transported and set up with a minimum danger of breakage, in large sheets. They may be fastened by nails,

screws. or clips directly to supports by'unslriiied. workmen, andno mortar is necessary to bind them together. If desired, they may also be integrally welded and bent by the methods hereinbeforedescribed. The product may vary widely. depending upon'the' materials used'in production and the conditions of firing. Suitable decorative glazes may be incorporated, if desired, as in-the case of other ceramic products.

The product may be used in building structures. in addition to a wall structure, as indicated hereinbefore, as exterior or interior sheathing, flooring, roofing, reinforced structural members, studs, and beams. Other uses for the product of this iangention will readily occur to those skilled in the While a particular embodiment of this invention is shown above, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is notto be limited thereto, since many modifications may be made, and it is contemplated, therefore, by the appended ciaims, to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. A continuous process for the production of a relatively thin, reinforced ceramic building slab which comprises depositing an intimate mixture of ceramic particles and a thermostable, fusible inorganic bonding material in a layer onto a moving surface, advancing said layer in contact with a thermostable reinforcing agent to a heating zone, said bonding material having a lower fusion temperature than that of'sald particles and of said reinforcing agent, heating said layer in said heating zone to-a temperature to fuse only said bonding material whereby said ceramic particles become bonded to each other and to said reinforcing agent, and thereafter cooling the resulting layer to produce the desired reinforced s a 2. A continuous process for the production of a relatively thin, reinforced ceramic building slab which comprises depositing an intimate mixture of ceramic particles, a thermostable, fusible inorganic bonding material, and mineral fibers in I of ceramic particles. a thermostable, fusible inorganic bonding material, and mineral fibers in a layer onto a'moving surface, advancing said layer in contact with a metal fabric to a heating zone. said bonding material having a lower fusion temperature than that of said particles, said mineral fibers and said metal fabric, heating said layer in said heating zone to a temperature to fuse only said bonding material whereby said ceramic particles become bonded to each other and to said mineral fibers and to said metal fabric.

and thereafter cooling the resulting layer to produce the desired reinforced slab.

- 4. A continuous process for the production of a relatively thin, reinforced ceramic building slab which comprises advanclna a sheet of reticular metal fabric closely adjacent the upper surface of a web advancing inthe same direction, de-

positing an intimate mixture of ceramic particles and a thermostable fusible inorganic bonding materiai in a layer onto said advancing web, in an amount at least partially to embed said metal fabric in said layer said bonding material having a lower fusion temperature than that of said particles and of said metal .fabric. advancing said layer and said-metal fabric with said web to a heating zo'ne wherein the layer and fabric are heated to a temperature to only said bonding agent whereby said ceramic particles become bonded to each other and to said metal fabric. and thereafter cooling the resulting layer to produce the desired reinforced slab.

5. A continuous process for the production of areiatively thin,'relnforced ceramic building slab which comprises advancing a sheet of reticular metal fabric closely adjacent-the upper surface of a web advancing in the same direction. depositing a smooth paste comprising an intimate mixture of ceramic particles, waterand a thermostable, fusible inorganic bonding material in a layer onto said advancingweb and fabric in an amount sufficient at least partially to embed said metal fabric-in said layer, said bonding material having a lower fusion temperature than that of said particles and of said metal fabric, compressing said layer to effect intimate association thereof with said metal fabric. advancins said' layer and said fabricwith said web to a drying zone and then to a heating zone wherein the layer and fabric are heated to a temperature to fuse only said bonding agent whereby saidceramic particles become bonded to each other and to said metal fabric, and thereafter cooling the resulting layer to produce the desired reinforced slab.

8. The process recited in claim 5 wherein the product is annealed prior to the dual cooling step. i

7. The process recited in claim 5 wherein a fusible glaze is deposited on one surface of the compressed layer prior to the drying and heating treatment whereby a glazed product is formed.

8. The process recited in claim 5 wherein said smooth paste has mineral fibers admixed therewith, said fibers having a fusion temperature higher than the fusion temperature of said bonding material.

JOSEPH R. PARSONS.. 

